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| Mahindra’s XUV300 is unique to behold, but comes packed with value, much like KZN’s signature dish, the bunny chow. The 1,5-litre diesel pulls like a train, and its frugal consumption will inspire owners to go on food safaris to establish for themselves whether Maritzburg’s Bombay Curry Den (est 1980) sells the tastiest bunnies. |
THE XUV300 is the first Mahindra I have driven that did not have the cabin bolted to a solid ladder frame designed to overcome anything India’s roads can put in its path.
Instead, the cabin and the chassis are an all-in-one unit — what the trade calls a monocoque hull, and filled to the brim with all the buttons one expects — but rarely gets — in a car starting at a quarter of a million rands.
These lesser-spotted buttons include an auto-dimming rearview mirror, wheel pressure monitors, parking sensors, a rear camera, satellite navigation, cruise control, a sunroof, push button start/stop and dual-zone climate control.
It’s roomy inside, despite the XUV300 being under 4 m long and 1,82 m wide.
The rear seats fold flat in a 60/40 configuration. With the seats up, the boot is a relatively tight 249 litres (the competitors are over 300 litres), but this is still more than enough space for the weeks’ groceries. With the rear seats flat, the space enlarges to 600 litres.
Under the hood is either a diesel or a petrol engine, both sending power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
The 1,2-litre turbocharged makes 81 kW and 200 Nm, which is OK for city use, but my preference is for the 1,5-litre turbodiesel, which makes 86 kW and 300 Nm, the highest among its competitors.
LIKING THE BENDS
Like its bigger XUV500 sibling, the XUV300 can be thrown about with verve, with a suspension that is hard enough to soak up speed bumps and the odd handbrake turn, but pliant enough not to pulp your kidneys on a long drive.
ABS-controlled disc brakes all round stop the 1 404 kg car in short order and seven airbags provide reassurance for those who like being surrounded by explosive devices that are as likely to injure one as prevent injury. (At Wheels, we prefer roll cages to airbags).
The Cheetah-inspired lines of the XUV range turn the heads of even non-petrol heads, and I for one doff my cap at Mahindra for daring to design vehicles that look different.
The XUV300 comes in two levels of trim, the W6 and W8. Both models have a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is intuitive to operate. One aux and two USB ports allow plugging in or charging assorted digital devices. The system also links with Apple and Android.
There is also a voice control, which either does not understand, or hears something totally different.
This is par for the course at the moment, with BMW, Ford and Merc’s voice recognition systems also still learning how to interact with humans.
While they do, that “voice” button is best left alone if you don’t want to end up yelling at the dashboard.
That was the first niggle.
The second was the cloud of diesel smoke belched out in a cold start.
This is not the fault of the 1,5 turbo diesel, but the lack of a reminder to let the glow plugs warm up for about 15 seconds, and then let the engine idle for another 30 seconds.
PULLS LIKE A TRAIN
In India, where drivers buy cars for their fuel economy above all else, and where well over 30 000 XUV300 models have now been sold, drivers report about 17 km/l from the petrol engine and 20 km/l from the diesel.
The petrol consumption is on par with the main competitor in South Africa, the Ford EcoSport 1,5. The EcoSport diesel gets over 20 km/l, but it can do so because it makes less power than the XUV300. And that is the real surprise from this middle child in the XUV range — that 1,5 turbo diesel pulls like a train.
Were I to compare the value offering of the XUV300 to food, it would have to be a bunny chow — strange to behold, but full of juices and flavour once bitten into.
XUV300 DIESEL COMPETITORS
The best-selling Ford Ecosport 1,5 TDCi Ambiente is over 51k cheaper, but makes 95 fewer Newtons, while the Renault Duster dCi Tech Road is R31 k cheaper, and 90 Newtons weaker.
XUV300 PRICING
XUV300 1,2 petrol W6 R249 999
XUV300 1,5 diesel W6 R274 999
XUV300 1,2 petrol W8 R304 999
XUV300 1,5 diesel W8 R324 999
A five-year or 150 000 km warranty and a five-year of 90 000 km service plan are included in the price. Service intervals are every 15 000 km.
